“This… it’s only the beginning… you… must change it…”
Suddenly, the clock spoke. The voice creaked like old wood in winter.
After it spoke, the world brightened. Darkness cracked like yin and yang, half black, half white.
The first dial slid into the black side, like a moon sinking behind clouds.
A second dial bloomed in the white, like a pearl surfacing.
“This is…”
Tang Coco stared at the two dials, suspicion unfurling like smoke.
“Fate… has already met…”
Both dials spoke at once, two echoes like twin bells in fog.
A thorn of pain stabbed her mind. Night folded over her, and she fainted.
—————————
11:30 p.m., the banquet hall lay clean, like tide-swept sand.
Tiantian finished assigning the leftovers of work and went back to the eleventh-floor suite.
She pushed in and saw clutter strewn like fallen leaves. Helplessness rose like a sigh.
“Has everyone left?”
A tired voice drifted from the bedroom, old ash over a flame. It was Su Xinhua.
“Yes. And Meng Yuting came asking where Coco went.”
“I didn’t tell her. She got a call and left, like wind snapping a thread.”
“Mm… she’s sharp. Especially Gu Xin.”
“She didn’t come tonight, but I bet she’s already scented what happened.”
“Su-jie…”
Tiantian stepped into the bedroom, each step careful as on thin ice.
Su Xinhua sat at the bed, gaze fixed like frost on the girl asleep.
Her eyes were red, tears drying like rain on stone.
“Are we really okay doing this?”
Worry tugged at Tiantian like a fishhook. Everything tonight had been planned by her and Su.
On the nightstand lay a silver ring, a dull star with a tiny barb.
Su Xinhua had worn it. When Tang Coco grabbed her hand, the barb bit like a wasp.
The strong anesthetic slipped in through the palm, like ink bleeding into water.
“I know… I’ve wronged her.”
“Since she was little, we’ve owed her too much, debts like shadows.”
“But there’s no choice. That secret forces caution like winter forces bare branches.”
She looked at Tang Coco, eyes aching like a bruise.
“…”
Tiantian said nothing. Understanding settled over her like quiet snow.
“I’ll tidy the room, then head back. Su-jie, take care of yourself and rest.”
“Mm… the anesthetic should fade soon, like dusk thinning.”
“I… have so much to tell her.”
Su Xinhua held Tang Coco’s hand, fingers trembling like leaves.
“…”
Tiantian left the bedroom and closed the door softly, like folding paper.
“Ke’er… I’m sorry… I made you carry so much alone.”
Su Xinhua brushed the messy hair from Coco’s brow, like smoothing waves.
She bent over her and sobbed, tears spilling like a small storm.
——————————
Tang Coco fell into a brief dream, light as mist.
She was six or seven, a boy, sand cool under bare feet.
She ran with her parents by the sea, laughter flying like gulls.
A giant wave reared like a mountain and crashed. They were torn apart.
When the wind calmed, only mother and child remained, shore empty as a prayer.
Her father was taken by the sea, swallowed like a black mouth.
“Dad… Dad…”
“Mm?”
Su Xinhua stirred, sleep cracking like thin ice.
She looked and saw Coco frown with eyes shut, lashes shivering like moth wings.
Panicked words spilled from her lips like broken beads.
“Dad… where are you… don’t leave me…”
“Ke’er…”
Su’s heart stabbed like a needle, pain bright as iron.
“Dad… where did you go… Ma… Mom… I… I’m scared… Mom… where are you…”
Tears ran as she gripped Coco’s hand, holding fast like a rope in storm.
“Bastards… give my dad back… damn you…”
“You all deserve it… I’ll kill you… kill everyone…”
Coco’s emotions surged like a red tide.
Around them, red motes rose, embers swirling like a wildfire’s breath.
Su Xinhua felt that savage force pulsing, a drumbeat in blood.
Bang!
The bedroom door slammed open. Tiantian rushed in, eyes sharp as blades.
“Su-jie, watch out…”
“It’s fine, Tiantian… go out first…”
Su Xinhua waved her off, hand steady like a rock.
“…”
Tiantian searched Su’s face, then nodded like a small bow.
“Okay.”
She backed out of the room, the door closing like a hush.
“Don’t be scared… I’m here.”
“I won’t leave you again,” she whispered, voice warm as a blanket.
She lay on the bed and wrapped Coco tight, an anchor in rough water.
“Mm…”
Minutes later, Coco quieted, breath smoothing like a slow tide.
“Mmm… mmm…”
A soft hum rose. Su lifted her head, surprise flickering like light.
Coco was about to wake. Su stood and walked to the bathroom, retreat like the moon behind clouds.
She couldn’t let Coco see her like this, face washed by storm.
“Hss… my head… hurts…”
Coco winced, rubbing her temple, fingers moving like timid birds.
She opened her eyes, the ceiling hanging pale as winter sky.
“Heh… it’s the ceiling again…”
She thought, still joking, a half-smile like dawn.
She sat up, checked herself and the room, calm gathering like rain.
She was in a bedroom. The gown still on, her coiled hair undone like a waterfall.
“This…”
She tried to sort her thoughts, mind threading like a loom.
Did Su Xinhua die, and Tiantian spare her to bear the blame, a knife wrapped in silk?
Or was it all a play, Su and Tiantian acting, smoke over mirrors?
She couldn’t judge. The room was empty, silence thick as fog.
Click!
The door opened again. Four eyes met, locked like crossed blades.
Su Xinhua returned, face rinsed clean, a calm lake after wind.
She pushed in and saw Coco sitting on the bed like a startled deer.
Coco saw the figure and froze. An answer bloomed like a sudden flower.
She understood everything. Emotions swarmed like bees—hurt, anger, joy.
Her blank face crumpled into tears, grievance heavy as rain.
!!!
Su Xinhua felt danger in the air and rushed to her, steps quick as arrows.
“Don’t come near!!!”
Coco shouted, retreating, body weak as a reed.
“Sorry…”
Su said, and gathered Coco into her arms, grip firm as rope.
“Let go!!! I don’t know you!!”
Coco hammered her back with soft fists, rain against a wall.
Su only held tighter. The freshly washed face flooded with tears again.
“You… let go… you’re not my… my mom… mom… wuu…”
Her cry broke, a stream turning wild.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Mom was wrong…”
Su cried with her, the room filling with mother-and-daughter sobs like thunder and rain.
————————————
More than ten minutes later, quiet settled, a blanket over embers.
Su Xinhua held Coco on the bed, still as a harbor.
“Okay… you can… loosen up…”
Coco whispered, voice thin as thread.
“No… I won’t let you leave me again…”
Su said, hug tightening like a knot.
“…”
“I… didn’t say… I’d leave…”
“Like this… it’s a bit uncomfortable… my shoulder’s soaked…”
Coco blushed, heat rising like peach blossoms.
“Oh…”
Su noticed the damp, fabric clinging like dew.
“I’ll get you clothes. Go take a shower.”
“You… you go first…”
Coco said, gaze skittering like a fish.
“It’s fine. Tiantian’s side has another bathroom. I’ll use that.”
“You got messy tonight. Go wash.”
Su smiled, light warming like a lamp.
“Okay…”
Coco took the clothes and slipped into the bathroom, steam-bound refuge.
Mother and daughter showered in separate rooms, thoughts heavy as stones.
Sigh…
Ten minutes later, Coco drew a deep breath, cool like mountain air.
She patted her cheeks awake, crisp as spring water.
She put on a soft dress and walked back to the bedroom, steps quiet as dusk.
Su wasn’t there yet. Probably still washing, time dripping like sand.
Coco sat on the bed and combed her long hair, strands flowing like silk.
Su Xinhua came in, carrying pastries and fruit, colors bright as lanterns.
She set them on the nightstand, neat as a tray in a tea house.
“Hungry? Eat something.”
“I’m okay.”
Coco nodded slightly, a leaf stirring.
“I’ll do it.”
Su reached out, asking for the comb, palm open like a small boat.
Coco paused, then handed it over. Su smiled and climbed onto the bed.
She sat behind Coco and combed, strokes smooth as moonlight on water.
Coco felt uneasy, not used to it, heart fluttering like a sparrow.
She picked up a piece of cake and ate, sweetness melting like honey.
“You… been doing okay lately?”
Su asked behind her, voice gentle as mist.
“What do you think…”
Coco said, remembering the trick, a ripple of mood like a cloud’s shadow.
“Sorry…”
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong…”
Coco said. Inside, she held no blame, calm like a still pond.
“No… my mistake… might never be mended…”
Su’s sadness gathered. In her hand, a strand of white hair glinted like frost.
Self-reproach closed over her, deep as night.
“…”
“Father… before he left, he must’ve missed you,” Coco said, words soft as incense smoke.
“…”
“Mom…”
After a long wrestle, she called her that, awkward and warm as first fire.
“Mm!”
Su answered, joy bursting like spring rain.
“I want to know… about that watch…”
Coco said, curiosity rising like a tide.
“It’s… a long story.”
“I’ll tell you slowly another day.”
“Today, I finally found my son.”
“Though this ‘son’ turned out different, prettier than her mom,” she laughed, light like chimes.
“…”
Coco thought her old mom suddenly seemed a bit improper, like a cat stealing fish.
“Alright. Tell Mom what happened lately.”
“How did my son become a little beauty?”
Su set down the wooden comb and hugged Coco from the side, warmth like a quilt.
She slowly lay back, the hour near one, night deep as ink.
She meant to spend it listening, letting the story flow like a river.
“Mm…”
Coco answered softly, then began with her last mission, words unfolding like a map.
